Apparatus for conveying a liquid or other fluid



W` H. ALBEE Sept. 13, 1960 APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING A LIQUID OR OTHER FLUID Filed Feb. 23, 195e United States Patent O William H. Albee, Carmel, Calif., assigner, by mesne assignments, to John G. Holland, Houston, Tex.

Filed Feb. 23, 1956, Ser. No.`567,'137

8 Claims. (Cl.` 280--5) This invention relates to a'vehicle comprising a hollow, flexible-walled, huid-distensible, ground-contacting and load-carrying roller adapted for the use ofa cargo ud as `the roller-distending substance, or as a part of it, and to a method of using such a roller.

Its chief objects are to provide economical transportation of a liquid or other fluid, especially over rough terrain or over a soft supporting surface such as that of snow, desert sand or marshy ground.

Further objects are to provide a vehicle adapted for use in a river, lake, bay or other body of water as a lloating surface vessel, or as a sunken vehicle supported in part by contact with the oor ofthe body of water, and as an amphibious vehicle.

Another object is to provide a vehicle of the type above indicated adapted to transportevena large amount of a heavy liquid over desert sands, forexample, without leaving any clearly visible track, which is of especial advantage in the case of mili-tary use.

. Further and more speciiicobjects will be manifest in thelfollowing description. t

l I attain these objects by providing a roller o-f the type indicated with provision for filling or partly filling it rapidly with a cargo liquid or other fluid and for emptying it of the same, and preferably with provisionof other features of .which` the ,advantages will be manifest. p, The roller itself and some of the associated parts `are somewhat` similar to the structures described in my U.S. Patent No. 2,714,011, and in my copending U.S. application Serial No. 430,179, filed May 17, 1954, and since issued as Patent No. 2,802,541, the roller being adapted to perform its functions with very low4 internal pressure, iin the neighborhood of Zito pounds per square inch, for

example, so that it will `locally swallow roadway pro-` jections or obstructions, without their causing high resistance to its forward movement.

Of the accompanying drawings:

. Fig. l is a perspective View of the preferred embodiment of `the invention of the present application.

Fig.2 is a longitudinal, axial section of thesame.

'Fig. .3 vis a section of the same approximately on the indirect and discontinuous` line 434-3 of Fig.2, with a part broken away and with parts sectioned `on l-ines 3A and 3B of Fig. 2 to show the structure of elements at different distances from the point of view. z Fig. 4 is a `section online 4`4 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. .4. v

t The preferred embodimentv here Vshown comprises a flexible-walled hollow roller body 10, preferably j of rubber-and-cord construction generally similar to that commonly used in the construction of pneumatic tires, but with preferably a thin and highly flexible, `and only moderately stretchable wall, an axle structure mounted in the roller at its axis and having parts projecting from the ends 'of the roller, and horizontal-propulsion means in the formof a pulling yoke 11A having its arms journaled respectvelyto the projecting parts of theaxle structure. Y

The roller body, preferably of crowned shape as shown in the drawings, is formed at each end with a central hole defined by an anchorage bead 10a. Each bead is clamped against and thus sealed to a ilange 11a constituting a part of the axle structure, by means of a plurality of clamping-ring segments 12, 12 which are drawn toward the flange 11a, to clamp the bead 10a, by bolts 13, 13, at positions between the rollers axis and the bead 10a.

Preferably each of the flanges 11a, 11a is an integral part of a tubular axle member 14 or 14a, which members provide the outwardly projecting axle structures for the journaling of the yoke arms thereon. In the other` direction each axle member 14 or '14a projects in the yinterior of the roller and is provided at its inner end with a closure plug 15 and at its outer end with a closure plug 15a.

To maintain alignment of the two axle members 14, 14a While permitting them to move toward and from each other a little as the shape of the roller changes slightly in service the inner end portion of each axle member 14 or 14a is slidably telescoped in the adjacent end portion of a guide and stop sleeve '16.

A hose coupling 17, outside of the roller, is screwed through a wall of the hollow axle member 14 for conducting cargo lluid into and out of the latter. To provide for the substantially complete emptying of a cargo liquid from the roller, under Athe force of fluid pressure within the roller, a filling and venting nozzle 18, formed with an L-shaped iluid passage 19, is adapted to be held by gravity with its mouth at substantially the lowest part of the interior of the roller, in spite of the rotation of the roller in the transportation of the liquid.

The nozzle 18 preferably is provided with a pair of wheels 18a, 18a, to prevent rotation of the roller from dragging the nozzle away from its low position.

The preferred structure for connecting the nozzle to the hollow axle member comprises a T-coupling 20 mounted on the nozzle with its hollow stem in communication with the passage 19 and a pair of resiliently exible hoses 21, 21, preferably mold-vulcanized to about the C shape in which they are shown, connecting the respective arms of the T-couplingwith respective fluid-com,

ducting, rotary-seal sleeves 22, 22 mounted upon the axle member 14 for rotation of the latter within them.

t Each sleeve 22 lis internally formed with an annular groove 22a of suflicient axial width to assure constant communication of the groove with a respective hole 23 formed in the wall of the `axle member, in spite of variations in the curvature of the C-spring hoses 21 under variation of their internal pressure or as the result of contact of the wall of the roller with roadway obstructions, or pronounced or unlike deformations of the end portions of the roller, as in the case of a lateral sloping of the roadway. At each side of the groove 22a the sleeve preferably is rotatably sealed to the axle member by a rubber O-ring or soft packing ring 22b set in a groove in the inner face of the sleeve. The sealing rings, being of a self-energizing type, can fit the axle member with such moderate pressure that rotation of the axle member will not bunch or excessively wear the ring, but such that the ring will effectively seal against the axle member under the force of substantial differential pressure incident to lthe lling or the emptying of the roller, with the axle member being not rotating at such times as the roller is being iilled or emptied while standing still, or with the axle rotating as a part of the roller, as in the case of a towing vehicle being refueled, in transit, from liquid carried in the roller.

Preferably each of the duid-conducting sleeves 22 is provided with a relatively heavy lower. part, at 22C, to

Patented Sept. 13, 1960 24 bearing against the guide-sleeve 16. andthe. flange.

11a' respectively, a light helical spring 25 surrounds the vaxle'member and'is seatedV at its ends against spring-seat washersv 26, 26 which bear 4againstthe respective fluidconducting sleeves 22, 22.

Asshown in Fig. 4, the inlet-outlet hose coupling 17 has within it a spring-backed, inwardly opening ball valve 27, to confine the contents of the roller when it is not -being lled or emptied.

` For opening the ball valve automatically when a hose 28l isA connected to the coupling 17, the swivel screwcoupling of the Vhose 28 comprises a nipple 29 within the endA of the hose andV internally formed with an annular `groove for seating and stabilizing the ends of the arms of a spring-metal spider 30 having a ball-engaging stem 30a `for forcing the ball 27 off of its seat. The spider can be formed, as shown in Fig. 5, by makin-g crossed saw-cuts in the end of -a metal rod and bending outward the four resulting arms`30b, 30h.

With suitable changing of the internal capacity of the roller by collapse and distension, it can be almost completely iilled with tand emptied of liquid through the hose-coupling 17 and its associated conduits alone, successive charges of air being conducted into the roller from time to time through those conduits to provide internal `air pressure for forcing out the liquid.

Preferably, however, provision is made for venting Iair lfrom the interior of the roller while liquid is being conducted into it, for almost complete iilling of the roller with. liquid if desired, and for conducting compressed air into the roller While liquid is being conducted out of it.

To provide such mode of operation the assembly here shown comprises elements mounted upon the axle member 14a and including a buoyant member 118 adapted to float upon the liquid, the surface level of which is represented by the horizontal line L, and the oat is formed with an L-shaped fluid passage 119 and a T-coupling 120 having its stem in communication with the said passage `and its arms coupled to respective hoses 121, 121A of lC-sprring shape and corresponding to the hoses 21, 21 above described. The hoses 121 are coupled 4at their other ends to respective huid-conducting sleeves 122, 122 provided with sealing rings 122i), 122i), the sleeves corresponding to the sleeves 22, 22 except that their weightying `elements 122, 122C, are in such position as tot supplement the buoyancy of the hoses 121, 121 and the member 118 for maintaining the huid-conducting sleeves inV proper angular'positions as the member 118 moves upward or downward with the surface of the liquid. Other elements corresponding to those above described for the liquid-conducting assembly include a light helical spring 125 and each `sleeve is formed with an internal annular groove 122a which is always in communication with al hole 123 in the wall of the hollow axle member 14a, lthe inner end of which is provided with a closure plug 15 and its outer end with a closure plug 15a as. above stated.

A metal inflating-valve stem, 117, with a valve init corresponding to a tire valve, is screwed through a wall of the hollow axle member 14a, outside ofthe roller. For charging the roller with compressed air to expel the liquid an :air hose can be applied to the valve-stem 117' as in the inflating of a tire, and for the venting of air from the roller to permit the roller to be filled almost completely with liquid, the valve can be held open by any suitable means or the valve insides can be removed, as in the case of quick deflation of a tire.

In the rotation of the roller as it is pulled `alongby means of the yoke 11 in the`transp'ortation of'the iiuid, the weightof the. nozzle member 18 and of the heavy sides'of. the conducting sleeves 22, 22 maintainsthe nozzle member with its mouth at substantially the lowest part of the interior of the roller, the hoses 21, 21' having but little if any buoyancy, because of being filled with liquid. The C-spIin-g shape of the hoses 21, 21, preferably given to them by mold-vulcanization, permits the nozzle member to rise and fall in relation to the axis of the roller as the wall of the roller. is.Y changed in shape by road obstructions, by changeA in. the amount of liquid Vcontained' inthe roller, orbyl change ofthe pressure of the cushioning body ofV air over the liquid.

The"air.'conducting structure 118'-123.similarly is held? in its operativev position` bytheiweight'v of the heavy' sides L-shaped air-passage'119` in such relation to the. hoses 121 that its'mouth will he near its uppermost part in spite of the structure havingv -a partial rotation about the axis of the roller `as the oat moves upward or down wardwith theY surfaceof the liquid: To' contribute fur.- there to that effect the-oat can be weighted, -as by means of a weightl 118m', on` itsY side opposite the mouth of thev air-passage 119, the `tt-spring shape of the resiliently=lexible hoses 121 contributing to the ability of the weight 118m to influence the attitude of the float.

'Ihe parts constituting the axle, and the parts asso-1 ciated therewith inside of the roller, are such that the -axle member 14 or 14a, having such associated parts preassembled upon it, can be worked into the roller. through an endl hole of the-latterV without such end` hole' being excessively large, the bead defining thev holeand'- the adjacent part of the wall of the roller beingdeform` -able from circular form andv the hoses 21 and 121 also 'being` deformable. The flange 11.a of the axle member can be buttoned lthrough the hole in the adjacent' end of the roller that' is defined `byl the respective bead 10a.

Preferably the sleeve'l is preassembl'ed with the-axle member 14 or 14a that is rstprojected intovthe'roller yand the other such axle'member is thrustinto the sleeve during or after its being projected into the roller.4 To' facilitate they entrance of" the axle members into the sleeve the latter isA beveled' as at- 16a, 16a and the axle members are beveled as at 16h, 16h. The clamping-ring segments 12, 1-2 and their bolts 13, 13 are of course ap plied after the association of the parts within the roller has been completed.

It is desirable to provide the assembly with a stabiliz ing wheel 40, having a pneumatic tire 41, in `association with each ofthe outwardly projecting vencl portionsofithe axle structure, to serve inthe manner of outriggersffor-v stabilizing and protectingxthev roller and for limiting its tilting on ya hillside, for exar'r1ple,"and to limit the fiattening of the -roller'against'the ground. in case the'grollerv containsv a. large amount ofk heavy liquidV while having only a low` cushioning air pressure 'per square inch. This conditionv` illustrated in: Fig. 2, in which theroller is so extensively attened against the roadway, the surface" ofl which is represented by the horizontal line` G, that' the tires 41 are. in contact with the roadway but not: sustaining any substantial part of the weight of'the lroller and its cargo.

For rapidrmovementof the'rollerover a suitableroadway when the roller hasl been emptied of its cargoit is4 4desirable tohavethe roller carriedV chiey or entirely by the axle structure,- with-thewheels` supporting them, and for the best attainment of that purpose it is desirableV that provision be made: for lowering the. axes of theY Wheelsin relation to the-axisof'the roller. A

A. simpleV and convenient construction. for: providingthatfeatureis shown in' the drawings, in which; theA yoke;` 11.: comprises,. asr; the end portion :of each.: offl its:

arms, a thick, L-shaped metal plate 42 which is journaled at its elbow upon the rollers ladjacent axle member, as at `43, and has the wheels axle, 44, mounted in and projecting axially from an end portion of -an arm 42a of the L-shaped plate which extends radially from the rollers axis.

When the yoke is in the position represented by Fig. 1 and the full-line showing of Fig. 2, the axes of the Wheels are at a substantial distance above the `axis of the roller, for sustention of the weight of the roller and its contents chieiiy or entirely by the contact of the roller itself with the roadway, except as the wheels function on occasion as outriggers.

When it is desired to have the roller supported chiefly o1' entirely by the wheels, as above mentioned, the yoke 11 is turned over to the other side of the assembly, which lowers the wheels in relation to the roller, `as indicated by the dotted line position of the right-hand wheel and the dotted line relative position of the ground, G, in Fig. 2, the lower portion of the roller concurrently assuming .the shape and relative position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

It is believed that the mode of operation of the apparatus, and the steps of the method, are adequately presented in the labove description.

Preferably the roller is given su'icient internal pressure, by reason of the quantity of liquid and/or air or other gas within it, to round it out to 4almost its maximum cross-sectional size, for ease of rolling it, but not such high pressure as would prevent it from locally yielding adequately for easing its passage over such roadway obstructions as are to be encountered.

By securing the thrust-bearing washers 24 and 16a against movement lengthwise of their respective axle members, the telescopic guide and stop sleeve 16 can be omitted, the 'axle members 14 and 14a nevertheless continuing to serve as stub vaxles providing respective iiuid conduits from the interior to the exterior of the roller, assuming that the roller is given suicient internal pressure to strengthen it against excessive movement of the stub axles out of alignment with each other.

Advantages of the crowned shape of the roller are that distension of the roller by internal fluid pressure does not so radically change its shape as to develop excessively localized strains in its flexible wall and that buckling or wrinkling of end-closure parts of the Wall by flattening of the roller against the ground, or :by the pressure of roadway obstructions, is avoided by the gradual curvature of the rollers wall in the region of the merging of its ground-contacting portion into its end-closure portions respectively.

Also a roadway projection can turn a dome-shaped part of the crowned wall inside-out, to a re-entrant condition with relation to the normal shape of the roller, primarily by simple exing of the wall and without great diversity of pulling of the fabric in different vertical planes such as must occur in 1a roller of similar construction but of cylindrical form.

The yoke 11, above referred to as horizontal-propulsion means, is of course not intended to lbe limited to -a pulling action as -to its mode of operation. In the appended claims it is contemplated as being only one specific example of means for applying a propelling force to, or receiving a propelling force from, the axle members 14, 14a, in any one of various possible modes of operation that will be obvious, and the expression horizontal-propulsion means is used above and in the claims as meaning means for applying to or receiving from the roller an impellng force having a horizontal component, in any operation of the device in which it has a horizontal component of movement over a roadway or other terrain.

Also in the appended claims the word soft-rubber is intended to be inclusive of all natural or synthetic substances, having substantially the resilient deformability of vulcanized soft-rubber, that are embraced by the word soft-rubber in its common usage; and the expression of large flow capacity as applied to the means for conducting liuid into or out of the roller is used as meaning a iiow capacity suciently large to make the slowness of lling or emptying the roller not a substantial factor of disadvantage in use of the roller as a cargo carrier.

Various modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

said roller comprising journal means fat each of its ends,`

at least one `of the said journal means being fixedly sealed to the flexible wall of the roller as an end-closure therefor Iand thus constrained to rotate therewith and having a Huid-conducting passage through it, horizontalpropulsion means in journaled relation to said journal means, means for closing said passage, a conduit within the roller, 4open at one of its ends to the interior of the roller and at its other end in communication with said passage, and annular rotary-seal means coupling the said conduit to the said passage, said rotary-seal means being in communication `on each side of its sealing zone with the interior of the roller and thus having no communication with the atmosphere external to the roller when the said passage is closed by the said closing means, so that it is required to function as sealing means only during passage of uid into or out of the roller.

2. Apparatus as deiined in claim 1 in which the rotaryseal means comprises a self-energizing sealing ring.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the passage through the journal means -is deiined in part by an axle element extending into the roller and there formed with a side opening Vand in which the sealing means comprises a self-energizing sealing ring surrounding the said `axle element.

4. Apparatus as Kdefined in claim 1 and including Wheel means associated with the open yend portion of the defined conduit for running of the wheel means on the inner face of the flexible Wall of the roller for positioning the said portion of the conduit in relation to the said wall.

5. Apparatus -for transporting a cargo fluid, said apparatus comprising a exible-walled, 'liuid-disten'sible, ground-contacting roller for containing the cargo fluid, said roller comprising journal means at each of its ends, each of said journal means being iixedly sealed to the flexible wall of the roller and thus constrained to rotate therewith and at least one of said journal means having a fluid-conducting passage through it, a conduit Within the roller, open adjacent one of its ends to the interior of the roller and at its other end having rotary-seal communication with the said passage, and a oat within the roller and attached to the said conduit adjacent the latters iirst mentioned end for holding the open end portion of said conduit at a position determined by the liquid level in the roller.

6. Apparatus for transporting a cargo fluid, said apparatus comprising a ileXible-walled, iiuid-distensible, ground-contacting roller for containing the cargo fluid, said roller comprising an axle structure extending through and iixedly sealed to one end-wall of the roller and thus constrained to rotate therewith, a second axle structure extending through and iixedly' sealed to the other end-wall of the roller and thus constrained to rotate therewith, the two said axle structures being in slidably-telescoped relation to each other, and horizontalpropulsion means journaled to the said axle structures.

7. Apparatus for transporting a cargo uid, said apparatus comprising a flexible-walled, fluid-distensible, ground-contacting roller for containing the cargo fluid,

meansl de ning a duid-conducting passager leading -from the; exterior of said roller -Iand having within` the roller:

altlexiblefpart' open to' the interiorV of the rollerat a;

p osition: close tothe radially outerlimit-fof?. the' saidr interior, and means defining` a secondifluid-conducting.v passage leading tothe exterior ofy the' roller-from its: interior, the last said means having Within4the-ro1ler a llexible part Which is in `connmuni'cation with thesaid interior at ya position Yclose to the radially outerlimit of the said interior but spaced, circumferentially of the roller, from the first said position, the said apparatus comprising respective means locally joined to the said flexible parts, substantially at their respective points-*ofcommunication with the interior of the roller, for holding them at their defined relative'positions circumferentially of the roller.

8. Apparatus for transporting ia cargoA fluid, said ap'- paratus comprising a hollow, fluid-distensible roller having, for containing the fluid, aground-contacting'wall' of ber-reinforced' soft-rubber, the cargo-containing chamber Within the roller extending lfrom the said wall substantially to the axis ofthe roller, and the saidwall, when in unstrained condition, being curved inwardly, toward the ends of the axis of the roller, throughout the annular `end parts of its annular ground-contacting area and of `substantially uniform Wall thickness and structure, so that it has uniform ilexibility,y throughout the said parts of the said area, journal means at each end of the roller :and fixed tothe ilexible wall of the of'the roller .at the radially outer limit of the Ysaidjin-l terior, and means locally joined to said flexible part substantially at its pointY ofA communication withthe interior' of the roller for holding it at itsdelined position in; relation to the saidvwall. .j l

References Ctedin thelle of thisfpatent:

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